Africa's elusive black leopard: the story behind the rare photos
Photographing any subject in the pitch dark is tricky. A moving animal? Even harder. With stars in the background? Very problematic. One of the most elusive big cats in Africa? Now that's a challenge. But Will Burrard-Lucas has managed to achieve it.
The photographer's latest images, just published in a new book, capture a rare melanistic black leopard – the result of a recessive genetic condition that causes a dark coat – in Kenya under the starry sky; a feat which took six months to pull off, using a sophisticated camera trap set-up and plenty of patience.
"A photo of a black leopard under the stars would be both the rarest and most difficult wildlife photo I had attempted to date," he says of his latest project, telling Telegraph Travel that he first heard of sightings of this beguiling beast through safari guides in the region.
Melanism in big cats is linked to a mutation of a signalling protein that affects pigmentation, and is caused by a recessive gene that must be carried by both parents. It occurs in about 11 per cent of leopards globally.
Based on private land in Kenya, where this young male black leopard mostly resides, and with the help of the local community, up to seven motion-activated cameras were stationed in various hidden locations in the hopes of capturing the big cat on a clear, star-lit night.
"Weeks turned to months without a successful star photo," Burrard-Lucas says. "For the image to work, many factors needed to come together. Firstly, of course, it needed to be a clear night. But as the rainy season took hold, it became increasingly common for clouds to blot out the sky completely.
"To reveal stars, an exposure time of at least 15 seconds was necessary. The flashes would go off at the start of the exposure to illuminate the leopard before it moved off. Thereafter, as long as the background behind the leopard remained dark, the image would work.
"However, if there was ambient moonlight to lighten the background, the animal would appear translucent."
He says of the below photograph: "Here is an image that demonstrates the effect, although, in this case, I rather like the ethereal cat emerging from the night; for me it is a photo that conveys the essence of the ghost-like leopard."
To make matters even more challenging, the black leopard Burrard-Lucas was tracking took a shy turn in the interests of avoiding the below larger male, and strayed further from the cameras to seek out safer land.
This isn't the first time Burrard-Lucas has managed to capture a black leopard. In early 2019, he released his first image (below) also shot in Kenya, to great acclaim.
Burrard-Lucas' focus has been on snapping rare wildlife, especially during the night, since the outset of his career more than a decade ago. "In order to do this with shy animals, I delved into the field of camera trap photography," he tells us, "where you have a stationary camera set up close to an animal's trail, and a sensor that triggers the camera when the animal passes."
Given that he wasn't satisfied with the pre-existing devices on the market, Burrard-Lucas built his own, utilizing modified sensors that are usually used in security systems; the sort that trigger patio lights upon detecting movement, and last for months at a time. He now sells the models to other photographers.
During his quest for the black leopard shots, the photographer notes: "I set up one of my cameras on a rocky outcrop on Suyian Ranch with spectacular views out over Laikipia. My aim was to capture an image that captured the essence of this land of leopards. Below is a behind-the-scenes image of camera trap set-up."
Alas, not all animals were cooperative with the system. Behold, the troop of curious baboons that discovered one camera and comprehensively dismantled it.
The Black Leopard is out now.
